A Personal Favourite

I often wonder why it's only ever irritating songs that get stuck in my head. For some reason, my mind comprises a ready supply of songs that I hate, songs that play endlessly, as though I have set them on repeat, until I inevitably feel the urge to put my fist through a wall. What I want to know is, why can I never control the songs that play in my head? It is my head, after all.

If I could control what songs were stuck in my mind, I know what album I would choose: Chutes Too Narrow by The Shins has been a personal favourite for many years. In fact, I can't quite describe the feeling that takes hold when I put the CD in the player and the first track begins to play. Something closely resembling nostalgic elation, I think. To be honest, the fact that I can't quite describe this feeling is problematic; because here, in this small square of virtual space, I am going to attempt to review the album - and it would be useful if, to accomplish this end, I could think of some actual words.

The album begins with a track called 'Kissing the Lipless'. Six claps and a whoop introduce the listener to what will be one hell of a CD. This song is a brilliant way to begin a brilliant album; gradually building to a passionate chorus, it's both catchy and lyrically magnificent. For me, it is their lyrics that set The Shins apart from all other bands; funny and quirky, their songs are intelligently written and often full of deep meaning. Having played the CD multiple times, I can happily vouch for the fact that this meaning unfolds and develops with each new listen. Take my word for it; it will blow you away. Track three, 'So Says I', is brimming over with angst, but is not clichéd. The song describes breaking free of the monotony of life, and it does so with layered metaphor and a fast pace. There is real, almost alarming force behind the lyrics; and a clearly defined yearning for change.

The two slow songs, 'Pink Bullets' (track seven) and 'Those To Come' (track ten) are emotional, and full of feeling. 'Pink Bullets' is tinged with melancholy, and utterly reminiscent of relentless winter. It is almost elegant in its starkness; it does not follow the pattern of the earlier songs, so full of vigour and haste. The slow pace and low tones are cold, almost fragile; it stands alone, secluded. 'Those To Come', on the other hand, is perfectly evocative of a summer's morning; it is peaceful, calm - more than this, it is warm, and hopeful. These tracks adds another layer to the album; they add pauses where pauses are required. Tracks seven and ten are particularly appropriate listening whilst pensive.

"Turn A Square", however, is a different entity altogether. It is recklessly fun; upbeat and catchy (like a few of the others) it takes "musicphilia" to a whole new level. The song describes a romance, but a romance told through layers of convoluted metaphor that perfectly describe the state of the songwriter's mind, at the time of its conception. The sentiment evokes the awkwardness of attraction, and everything it entails. Excellent lyrics; an excellent song.

The album perfectly epitomises adolescence - for me, at least, it is tainted with a warm sense of nostalgia. Whenever I play it, I am taken straight back to the times when I heard it first; I can feel again both the hopeful anticipation and the yearning for freedom that flavoured my final few years at home. Back then, the songs were new, and unlike anything I'd ever heard. It was raw, and fresh. And now, three years later, it means even more than it did during those awkward teenage years. Music is more than words and tunes; and I think that this album, Chutes Too Narrow, sums that up beautifully.

Readers, this is a cautionary tale (of sorts...); and the moral is this. Listen to Chutes Too Narrow, because it is unmissable - and also because, if you don't, you risk allowing songs that you hate to enter your mind, and take control of your senses.